The nominees for the 2025 Willow Awards were recently announced. Also known as the Saskatchewan Young Readers' Choice Award (SYRCA), the awards promote reading and celebrate Canadian literature. Each year, Saskatchewan children and youth vote for Willow Award recipients from finalists nominated in three award categories.
The three categories were established to encourage participation by all children, regardless of their reading level. The Shining Willow Award is for books written for young readers; the Diamond Willow Award is for books written for upper elementary readers in Grades 4 to 6; and the Snow Willow Award is for books written for readers in Grades 7 and up. The 2025 nominees are listed below.
Shining Willow Nominees
Do Hippos Brush Their Teeth? How Animals Care for Their Bodies, written by Etta Kaner, illustrated by Jenna Piechota (Owlkids Books)
I, Too, Am Here, written by Morgan Christie, illustrated by Marley Berot (Second Story Press)
Into the Goblin Market, written by Vikki VanSickle, illustrated by Jensine Eckwall (Tundra Books)
Let's Go! / haw êkwa!, written and illustrated by Julie Flett (Greystone Kids)
Otis & Peanut, written by Naseem Hrab, illustated by Kelly Collier (Owlkids Books)
The Pie Reports, written and illustrated by Hayley Lowe (Orca Book Publishers)
Still My Tessa, written by Sylv Chiang, illustrated by Mathias Ball (Scholastic Canada)
The Three Little Mittens, written by Linda Bailey, illustrated by Natalia Shaloshvili (Tundra Books)
The Weedflower, written by Elizabeth Davaze, illustrated by Marianne Ferrer (Owlkids Books)
Zander Stays, written by Maureen Fergus, illustrated by Scot Ritchie (Pajama Press)
Diamond Willow Nominees
Bird Brain, written by Joanne Levy (Orca Book Publishers)
Eyes of the Ice, written by Anna Rosner (Groundwood Books)
How to Kidnap a Mermaid, written by Andy Tolson (Nimbus Publishing)
Iggy Included, written by Deborah Kerbel (Scholastic Canada)
Lost at Windy River: A True Story of Survival, written by Trina Rathgeber, illustrated by Alina Pete, coloured by Jillian Dolan (Orca Book Publishers)
Plague Thieves, written by Caroline Fernandez (DCB Young Readers)
Picture a Girl, written by Jenny Manzer (Orca Book Publishers)
Slugfest, written by Gordon Korman (Scholastic Canada)
Stopping the Shots, written by Lorna Schultz Nicholson (Scholastic Canada)
We the Sea Turtles: A Collection of Island Stories, written by Michelle Kadarusman (Pajama Press)
Snow Willow Nominees
Age 16, written and illustrated by Rosena Fung (Annick Press)
By Chance Alone: A Remarkable True Story of Courage and Survival at Auschwitz, written by Max Eisen with Kathy Kacer (HarperCollins Publishers)
Ghosts of Gastown, written by Jessica Renwick (Yellow Dog)
Lore Isle, written by Jiin Kim (Nimbus Publishing)
A Mist of Memories, written by Kate Blair (DCB Young Readers)
The Outsmarters, written by Deborah Ellis (Groundwood Books)
Simon Sort of Says, written by Erin Bow (Scholastic Canada)
When It All Syncs Up, written by Maya Ameyaw (Annick Press)
When the Dikes Breached, written by Martha Attema (Ronsdale Press)
Who We Are in Real Life, written by Victoria Koops (Groundwood Books)
For more information, visit willowawards.ca.